Oklahoma Play Analysis

I am not new to the musical Oklahoma! Unlike many of the people that were in my class, In high school, I was a part of the productions pit orchestra, and I knew what to expect. In this version of the musical Oklahoma!, it was performed in London, England by the Royal National Theatre in 1999,is directed by Trevor Nunn, choreographed by Susan Stroman, and the music is by Richard Rodger. There are many characters with a variety of differences for example, Jud Fry, Ali Hakim, Laurey, and Curly. However, they are connected through the theatre in many ways as well as through dance and music. The play is revolves around a man named Jud Fry, a woman named Laurey, and a love triangle that involves her friend Ado Annie, a man named Ali Hakim, and Will Parker. Trevor Nunn, the director of the musical used many different forms of Aristotle’s critical elements of drama to portray Shuler Hensley’s character Jud Fry. Jud Fry is a man that is blatantly rude, and willing to go against anyone or anything to get what he wants (a simple woman by the name of Laurey). His character
is very serious and demeaning. He speaks with a southern accent, but very slowly in a way that makes his words haunt whoever he speaks to. The music that surrounds him is always dark, with dissonant chords, and forte percussion accents. He interacts with many other characters such as Laurey and Curly. During the dream sequence when Jud dances with his dream girl Laurey, he is always in a high level, so that he seems to be in control of the situation. His movements are strong, sharp movements, and he accentuates the use of his upper body to lift laurey up onto the a higher level, and push her back onto the ground. In the scene where Jud interacts with Curly, he is vulnerable. As Curly speaks softly to Jud in his dingy home, Jud gets angry, we know this because he jumps back to the high level and circles around Curly and speaks to him in a choppy teeth clenched tone. Jud begins to make fast jerking movements towards Curly, and in return Curly quickly steps away. This uses the spectacle element Aristotle’s critical elements of drama. Ali Hakim is a major part of the production and is played by Peter Polycarpou.
In the musical, Ado Annie is in love with him. Ali Hakim is a peddler and carries around his goods on a wooden cart. He teases Ado Annie by talking to her on the a lower level and higher level, and whispers sweet things to her so that she will buy things from him. He speaks with quick diction as if he is afraid that someone might catch him in some sort of trick or lie. He shows to be in love with her by showering her with gifts and other small items, and eventually kissing her. However, when he speaks of Ado Annie to a few farmer men, he uses his entire body to show his disinterest in her. He uses axial movements to turn his head away from her, and eventually his whole body. He uses comedic release to get his points across, by cracking jokes about his so called lover Ado Annie’s sexuality throughout the entirety of the
musical.